Rotary fluid machine operable as a motor or a pump
First Claim
1. A rotary fluid machine comprising:
- first and second bodies, the bodies being rotatable relative to each other through at least 360° and
arranged one inside the other to define at least one working chamber there between;
at least one gate supported by the first body, each gate having;
a planar axial surface and respective rounded corners at each end of the axial surface;
the second body comprising a circumferential surface forming a surface of the working chamber, the circumferential surface having an intermediate surface extending in an axial direction and contiguous curved surfaces on each side of the intermediate surface and extending in a radial direction to form with the intermediate surface a U shaped channel, wherein when the planar axial surface is adjacent the intermediate surface, the rounded corners and the curved surfaces lie closely adjacent to and substantially parallel with each other to form a tolerance gap between the at least one gate and the circumferential surface.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rotary fluid machine 10 has a rotor 12, a stator 14, and a plurality of gates. The rotor 12 and stator 14 are rotatable relative to each other and arranged one inside the other to define a working chamber 18 there between. Gates 16 are supported in radial gate slots 20 formed in the rotor 12 and cyclically extend from and retract into the gate slots 20 as the rotor 12 rotates about stator 14. A plurality of demountable lobes is supported on an outer circumferential surface 24 of stator 14. The surface 24 forms a surface of the working chamber 18. Circumferential surface 24 is composed of an intermediate surface 48 which extends in an axial direction and opposite curved surfaces 46. The gate 16 has opposite rounded corners 130 separated by an axial planar surface 132. The shape and configuration of the gate 16 and corresponding is made to match that of the outer circumferential surface 24 so that when the axial surface 132 lies substantially adjacent and parallel to intermediate surface 48 each of the curved surfaces 130 lie closely adjacent to and substantially parallel with the concavely curved surfaces 46.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A rotary fluid machine comprising:
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first and second bodies, the bodies being rotatable relative to each other through at least 360° and
arranged one inside the other to define at least one working chamber there between;at least one gate supported by the first body, each gate having;
a planar axial surface and respective rounded corners at each end of the axial surface;the second body comprising a circumferential surface forming a surface of the working chamber, the circumferential surface having an intermediate surface extending in an axial direction and contiguous curved surfaces on each side of the intermediate surface and extending in a radial direction to form with the intermediate surface a U shaped channel, wherein when the planar axial surface is adjacent the intermediate surface, the rounded corners and the curved surfaces lie closely adjacent to and substantially parallel with each other to form a tolerance gap between the at least one gate and the circumferential surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A rotary fluid machine comprising:
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first and second bodies, the bodies being rotatable relative to each other and arranged one inside the other to define at least one working chamber there between; at least one gate supported by the first body, each gate having;
a planar axial surface and respective rounded corners at each end of the axial surface;the second body comprising a circumferential surface forming a surface of the working chamber, the circumferential surface having an intermediate surface extending in an axial direction and contiguous curved surfaces on each side of the intermediate surface and extending in a radial direction to form with the intermediate surface a U shaped channel, wherein when the planar axial surface is adjacent the intermediate surface, the rounded corners and the curved surfaces lie closely adjacent to and substantially parallel with each other; wherein the or each gate comprises a wiper and a gate seal system supported by the wiper, the gate seal system arranged to form a dynamic seal against the circumferential surface of the second body; wherein the wiper is provided with the planar axial surface and the respective rounded corners and the gate seal system comprises one or more sealing bands supported in the wiper and extendable from the planar axial surface and respective rounded corners; and wherein each sealing band comprise a straight length and curved portions at each end of the straight length, and a plurality of slots formed in the curved portions to facilitate flexing of the curved portions in a plane containing a corresponding sealing band. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A rotary fluid machine comprising:
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first and second bodies, the bodies being rotatable relative to each other and arranged one inside the other to define at least one working chamber there between; at least one gate supported by the first body, each gate having;
a planar axial surface and respective rounded corners at each end of the axial surface;the second body comprising a circumferential surface forming a surface of the working chamber, the circumferential surface having an intermediate surface extending in an axial direction and contiguous curved surfaces on each side of the intermediate surface and extending in a radial direction to form with the intermediate surface a U shaped channel, wherein when the planar axial surface is adjacent the intermediate surface, the rounded corners and the curved surfaces lie closely adjacent to and substantially parallel with each other; the rotary fluid machine further comprising a gate displacement system operable to displace the gate in a radial direction upon rotation of the first body relative to the second body; wherein the gate displacement system comprises for each gate, two gate links coupled one on each side of the gate, and cam surfaces arranged to guide the gate links to move in the radial direction as the first and second bodies rotate relative to each other, the gate links and the cam surfaces being disposed outside of the working chamber; wherein each gate link comprises two cam followers arranged to engage respective cam surfaces, and wherein each gate link is slidably retained within the first body and coupled by a pin to a corresponding gate; and wherein the first body comprises a radially extending pin slot for each pin, each pin extending axially through a corresponding pin slot to couple with a corresponding link, and a pin slot sealing arrangement operable to form a substantially seal about the pin slot. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A rotary fluid machine comprising:
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first and second bodies, the bodies being rotatable relative to each other and arranged one inside the other to define at least one working chamber there between; at least one gate supported by the first body, each gate having;
a planar axial surface and respective rounded corners at each end of the axial surface;the second body comprising a circumferential surface forming a surface of the working chamber, the circumferential surface having an intermediate surface extending in an axial direction and contiguous curved surfaces on each side of the intermediate surface and extending in a radial direction to form with the intermediate surface a U shaped channel, wherein when the planar axial surface is adjacent the intermediate surface, the rounded corners and the curved surfaces lie closely adjacent to and substantially parallel with each other; wherein the or each gate comprises a wiper and a gate seal system supported by the wiper, the gate seal system arranged to form a dynamic seal against the circumferential surface of the second body; wherein the wiper is provided with the planar axial surface and the respective rounded corners and the gate seal system comprises one or more sealing bands supported in the wiper and extendable from the planar axial surface and respective rounded corners; and wherein the gate seal system comprise at least two sealing bands juxtaposed face to face, each sealing band being provided with a plurality of slots to facilitate flexing of the sealing bands, and wherein the sealing bands and slots are arranged so that there is no direct fluid flow path between opposite sides of the gate seal system through the slots.
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Specification